[Marcimoto]

in a limited time,
I have to choose one of the two
both are the same price


Noble apollo
Dali io6

You mean Dali iO-8, right? The iO-6 is way cheaper.

I made a comparison between the iO-8 and the Apollo so maybe it helps you.

The Dali iO-8s arrived today and I did a first comparison test:

Sound:
Treble: Winner - Apollo. I love the plucked sound of the balanced drivers. They seem much more present and subjectively higher resolution and more brilliant.
Mids: Winner - Dali. In my opinion, they sound more natural and better separated with the iO-8. I particularly noticed the more natural sound with vocals.
Bass: Winner - Dali. Both models play really strongly here, but the iO-8s play a little deeper and, above all, more controlled.
Spatiality: Winner - Apollo. The ear pads are deeper, which already contributes a lot to a more open impression. In general, the Apollo sounds more airy and builds a nicer stage.
Homogeneity: Winner - Dali. I don't know whether it's simply because two drivers don't have to work together, but everything comes from a single source, but the iO-8s are even more homogeneous and offer very good transitions between the different frequency ranges.

ANC & transparency mode
ANC: The Apollo have the stronger ANC and filter out background noise more effectively. I consider the Dali iO-8 to be more on a par with my previous Bang & Olufsen H95. However, the Apollo picks up footsteps very clearly and unpleasantly. The Dali are much more pleasant without such an effect.
Transparency mode: Slight advantage for the Apollo, although both perform at a good level. However, neither of them comes close to the level of the B&O H100 and therefore most likely not to that of the Airpods Max (I have never tried them).

Comfort:
Both headphones weigh almost exactly the same. The Dali iO-8 weigh 5 grams more (335g Apollo vs 340g Dali), which is negligible.
The earpads of the Apollo are much more comfortable, which is due to the fact that they are deeper and oval-shaped.
The Dalis are not uncomfortable because of this, but people with large ears might not be as enthusiastic.
Despite the same weight and the actually thicker padding of the Apollo headband, the Dali iO-8 is still the more comfortable for me at this point, as it doesn't cause a hotspot on my head, unlike the Apollo.

Handling:
Very similar. In both cases, the ear cups can be rotated in both directions, but are not foldable. The size adjustment works with a clicky grid on the Apollo, without a grid on the Dali, but still very comfortable and secure.
In both cases, the buttons are operated via buttons and not via touch gestures. However, I still think the Dali solution is better.

Build quality: Very equal. Both models rely on a mix of leather, fabric, aluminium and high-quality plastic.
In my opinion, the Dali look a little more elegant and appealing and don't sit on the head quite as expansively as the Apollo. But of course this is all a matter of taste. However, I am pleased that Dali also has a cream/white/brown version in its portfolio alongside a black/grey version.

Conclusion: Both models are really good and have their own strengths. For me and my intended use, however, the overall concept of the Dali iO-8 seems a little more rounded than that of the Noble Fokus Apollo, which is why I will probably opt for the Dali.
In my case, the Apollo will have to go back anyway, as the headphone jack is defective.

 

[1ceb0x]

in a limited time,
I have to choose one of the two
both are the same price


Noble apollo
Dali io6

I got the io6 for a few years now
They sound good if you are looking for a neutral style of sound. I can't compare to the Apollo because I am yet to receive mine, but you are looking at different sound signatures. Apollo would probably be the "fun" ones whereas io6 more on the critical side.

In terms of specs, Apollo will win considering it just launched this year vs io6.

Few issues with the Dali io6:
the leather on the headband started peeling after warranty expired
connectivity wise feels finnicky to me (not sure if my unit is defective or whatnot) but sometimes it disconnects and reconnects to my phone for no reason. For example, you could be listening to music, get a notification on whatsapp and connection is interrupted.
the power button that doesn't power - I have to switch the button on and off multiple times to make them switch on. a lot of other people complained about the same in these forums.

 

[yahu83]

Io6 with the same price, really?
Or do you have in mind new io-8?

 

[deg0ey]

Another thing I'd gladly know is where to find a suitable ~1.5m cable for this headphone. I quite enjoyed it also passively once EQ'd but not so convenient currently to use with that short cable (that is also a bit too stiff for my liking) when the stereo cable is inserterted into the right cup,

If you can’t find a cable to fit the small opening maybe you could get a short female to male 3.5mm and use it as an extension for the included cable?

 

[punknotyet]

Another thing I'd gladly know is where to find a suitable ~1.5m cable for this headphone. I quite enjoyed it also passively once EQ'd but not so convenient currently to use with that short cable...

Ugreen AV183 works with Apollo.
Different lengths are available: https://www.amazon.com/UGREEN-Auxiliary-Shielded-Compatible-Headphones/dp/B08RB17ZY1

 

[RPGWiZaRD]

Ugreen AV183 works with Apollo.
Different lengths are available: https://www.amazon.com/UGREEN-Auxiliary-Shielded-Compatible-Headphones/dp/B08RB17ZY1

Thanks, unfortunately that seems to be nylon branded which I don't like how it rubs against clothes not to mention the microphonics that typically comes with that as well and also only saw either 1 or 2 meters, would prefer something in-between, 2 meters would mean my chair would constantly be in danger of running it over or my cats would chew or trip over it.

 

[jonmbarlow]

The app seems to have stopped connecting to the headphones

 

[FullCircle]

The app seems to have stopped connecting to the headphones

Can you offer more details?

 

[jonmbarlow]

Can you offer more details?

I just get this screen, have totally disconnected the headphones, reinstalled the app. It would appear many others have this issue if you see the reviews on playstore

 

[FullCircle]

I will pass this information to HQ. I know the App is being worked on for other reasons not related to the Apollo.

I do not know if the work has impacted other functions / products and this could be a temporary thing as the App is being worked on.

All I can do is pass on the information... Thanks

 

[1ceb0x]

Got the headphones from Hifonix yesterday.

First impressions:

They are slamming. They are loud. They are fun.

I am not used to this type of bass. It's definitely better than the abysmall sony xm series (better = listenable), but it's still more than I am used to. I played with the EQ to slightly alter this to my liking.
The unit I got has some cosmetic defects (scratch on the metal hinge). I guess you can't have everything perfect.
I have not used it wired, just bluetooth on ldac and overall I liked what I heard. They seem to complement well the type of music I listen to (electronic).

They have good clamping force that keeps them in place on your head even if you move. Sadly, this clamping force creates a hotspot at the top of my head after a while and I doubt I can use them for long periods of listen.

The adjustment of the headband could have been 1 click longer as others pointed out. I don't have a big head, but if I wear a hat and the headphones, I could feel how the headphones are barely covering my ears properly.

The "worst" thing I found with these is that if you touch the mesh on the outer shell of the cup, you'll get microphonics in the housing of the headphones. Now that winter is here and thick clothes are the norm, you can easily touch left and right cup with your clothing when you look left-right. Kinda disappointing. I don't think I had a pair where you can get microphonics by rubbing the cup on your clothes.

Also, not a fan of this mesh. It easily traps bits and pieces of anything. My HPs already had some pieces of material stuck in this mesh since I took them out of the box. Cosmetic wise it looks good and I only hope it will stay that way and not get really dirty.

The app is okay. Functional.

I tried them on a call, the other person said they can hear me well (no boom mic). I used transparency mode and it worked very well. ANC wise - it seems to perform well.

The other thing I don't like about these - Why on earth you got logo on each of the cup + the name noble on each one of them?
Why so many logos and names on one product? Come on....

 

[nioh]

I just get this screen, have totally disconnected the headphones, reinstalled the app. It would appear many others have this issue if you see the reviews on playstore

Go to Bluetooth settings on the phone and pair the headphones. When you go back to the app after this wait some seconds and it will connect.

 

[jonmbarlow]

Go to Bluetooth settings on the phone and pair the headphones. When you go back to the app after this wait some seconds and it will connect.

Nope that's not worked

 

[jonmbarlow]

Go to Bluetooth settings on the phone and pair the headphones. When you go back to the app after this wait some seconds and it will connect.

Ok, I got it to work and thanks for your help, I had to do a clean install of the app, forget the headphones, reconnect the headphones and then the app has detected them

 

[onawing]

Has anyone measured driver matching on this model?